Circumcision aids aimed at limiting possible damage to a penis of a male patient are well known. Typically, such aids provide a means to limit possible injury to the glans penis of said patient. Well known examples of such clamps include the mogen-type clamp, the gomco and the plastibel.
The mogen-type clamp in use clamps the prepuce whilst shielding the glans penis prior to removal of the prepuce using a scalpel blade. A known disadvantage of the mogen-type clamp is that a portion of the glans penis may also be clamped together with the prepuce resulting in eventual damage to the glans penis and/or urethra when the prepuce is removed. Careful use is needed to ensure no damage occurs to the glans penis and/or urethra of the patient. Apart from the dangers associated with use of mogen-type clamp, it is disadvantageous for use in rural settings where evacuation of an injured patient to a hospital with appropriate facilities may take several hours.
The use of Mogen® and mogen-type clamps inappropriately sized for patients has led to patient injuries. In such cases, the clamp may allow too much prepuce tissue to be drawn through an opening of the aid, thus facilitating the removal of an excessive amount of foreskin and in some cases, a portion of the glans penis.
The gomco clamp was designed to further provide protection means to the glans penis during circumcision procedures. Essentially, it is provided with a cone having an inner surface which receives the glans penis in use and the outer surface thereof being covered with the prepuce of the patient. The glans penis is therefore protected from injury when the prepuce is removed using a scalpel blade. Use of the gomco clamp is known to often cause cosmetically dissatisfactory results, and the procedure is complicated by the doctor/surgeon needing to carefully select the correct size of the so-called gomco bell for different patients. Further, the doctor/surgeon needs to decide for each patient what portion the prepuce to draw through a hole in a base plate of the gomco aid prior to surgically removing said portion of the prepuce. Incorrect assessment of what portion to remove could result in surgical complications and/or cosmetically dissatisfactory results.
The plastibell is not typically suited for adult male circumcision and is known to result in complications which may be severe enough to result in amputation of the penis.
Circumcision devices, circumcision surgical techniques and/or circumcision aids known in the art are associated with uneven scar formation, large scars forming after surgery, injury to the penis and/or an unaesthetic circumcised penis. Large and/or uneven scar formation may result with the penis adopting an undesired shape as healing takes place. Injury to the penis may include injury to the glans penis and/or the shaft and is known to result in sepsis and even amputation.
Circumcision is often ritual and/or part of traditional custom and practice of various population groups around the world. Such ritual circumcisions often take place in remote areas far from advanced medical health care.
HIV/AIDS and other diseases provides for a need to have circumcision aids being single use devices since multiple use devices might increase the risk of patients contracting HIV/AIDS.
There exists a need for a circumcision aid that will facilitate safe circumcision limiting penile injury and providing for even and/or limited scar formation, and after healing providing for an aesthetically pleasing circumcised penis.